Abstract: A disk brake mounting member having a pair of left and right arms spaced apart from each other in the circumferential direction of a disk. A pair of left and right pin holes are formed in the left and right arms, respectively, with different bore diameters. The pin holes are fitted with sliding pins, respectively, which support a caliper slidably in the axial direction of the disk. The arms are previously provided with left and right projections near the respective open ends of the pin holes so as to be in symmetry with each other. At least one of the projections is formed into a shape different from that of the other when the pin holes are formed in the arms by machining. Also disclosed is a method of producing the disk brake mounting member. According to this method, a mounting member is first cast to have left and right projections. One of the projections is then cut off.

Abstract: A disc brake includes a carrier with a pair of axially and outwardly extending arms. A pair of pad springs are mounted to the inner side of the arms. Each of the pad springs has a pair of return springs. The return springs extend radially of a rotor and have respective projections. Each of the return spring is made by bending an elongated tongue. A pair of backing plates are attached to a corresponding pair of friction pads and have lugs. A wear warning element is attached adjacent to the lug of each backing plate and has a bent portion. Each of the projections is resiliently in contact with the inner side of the bent portion so as to constantly urge the backing plate and the friction pad in a direction away from the rotor.

Abstract: A pair of arms have opposite bearing portions between which disc-passing regions are defined. Each of the disc-passing regions has a centerline offset outwardly from the centerline of a disc. A pair of pad springs have respective engagement regions engaged with the disc-passing regions. By this arrangement, a pair of inboard and outboard return springs are laterally symmetrical with respect to the centerline of the disc-passing region or pad spring. The return springs are deformed to cause their free ends or bias portions to be resiliently contacted with the inner surface of bent portions of wear warning elements. This enables the amount of deformation of the outboard return springs to be greater than the amount of deformation of the inboard return springs. Thus, the outboard return springs exert a force greater than that of the inboard return springs.

Abstract: A disk brake includes a carrier secured to a fixed part of a vehicle, a rotor fixed to a vehicle wheel, a caliper slidably mounted to the carrier, a pair of inboard and outboard pad assemblies for operative braking coaction with the rotor, and a pair of pad springs adapted to slidably support the inboard and outboard pad assemblies. The carrier includes an inboard member, an outboard member, and a pair of opposite side members each having a pair of opposite guide grooves. The pad springs each include a bridge portion, and a pair of legs depending from opposite ends of the bridge portion. The legs each include a pair of pad guides fit into the guide grooves.

Abstract: A disc brake mounting member has a pair of mounts to be secured to a non-rotating part of a vehicle on one side of a disc rotatably provided in the vehicle. The mounting member also has a pair of arms positioned on the outer side of the mounts in a radial direction of the disc for supporting a caliper so that the caliper can slide in the direction of the axis of the disc. The mounts are integrally formed with abutting surfaces, installation holes, and projections. Projections function as stoppers to be engaged by the non-rotating part of the vehicle when the mounting member is inserted between the disc and the non-rotating part.

Abstract: Wear warning elements are respectively provided in back plates of a pair of friction pads at the front side thereof with respect to a rotational direction of a disc rotor. A pad spring is disposed between the friction pads and a carrier. The pad spring includes a pair of spring portions. The spring portions are resiliently pressed against the wear warning elements to bias the friction pads away from the disc rotor, respectively. During a braking state, the friction pads are pressed against the disc rotor against the biasing force of the spring portions. When disengaging the friction pads from the disc rotor, the friction pads are moved by the biasing force of the spring portions of the pad spring, thereby enabling the friction pads to be reliably moved away from the disc rotor and preventing drag between the friction pads and the disc rotor.

Abstract: A disc brake having a plurality of pistons with the same outer diameter fitted in a cylinder portion of a caliper on at least one side of a disc so that the pistons cause a pad to press against the disc. At least one of the pistons has a relatively large wall thickness so that it is different from the other pistons in pad pressing area, and its natural frequency falls outside the range of from 20 Hz to 20 kHz, thereby suppressing the generation of brake noise.

Abstract: In a boat attachment structure, an inner circumferential groove is formed at an open end of a cylinder bore of a caliper. A deep bottom section and a shallow bottom section are provided on the bottom of the inner circumferential groove, and therefore a step is formed between them. A dust boot having of a cylindrical elastic body with a thickened engagement section on the peripheral surface is inserted in the cylinder bore, and the engagement section is fit in the inner circumferential groove. Since each of chips produced during machining of the groove is parted by the step, chips will not remain in the inner circumferential groove.

Abstract: One of the reference surfaces used in a process for machining a bore is formed as an integrally cast surface on the outer surface of a caliper in a location corresponding to a recess of the caliper. A flat surface which is substantially parallel with the reference surface is also integrally formed at the bottom of the recess when casting the caliper. The reference surface and the flat surface are used as contact surfaces for ultrasonic sensor probes.

Abstract: A friction pad for a disk brake is designed so that a wear sensor can be firmly secured to the friction pad. A circular cylindrical projection is formed on a backing plate of the friction pad by extrusion so that a wear sensor adapted to sound an alarm by coming in contact with a disk is fitted onto the projection and secured to the backing plate by caulking the projection. The projection is so deformed that the diameter d.sub.1 and height h.sub.1 of a resulting radially enlarged portion satisfy the relationship of (d.sub.1 -3.4).times.h.sub.1 .gtoreq.2.5, thereby preventing rotation of the wear sensor and rising of the enlarged portion.

Abstract: A method of casting a plurality of caliper forms by using a mold and a core member of a special design is presented. The core member 20 has axial sections 22A, 22B formed on its each end aligned parallel to each other, and the middle section 21 between the axial sections is provided with a depression section 24A for forming a teeth section 9 of the caliper form 17A. Between the depression section 24A and the axial section 22A, there is a depression section 24B opposing the depression section 24A for forming the other teeth section 9 of the other caliper form 17B. There are internal surface forming sections 27A, 27B for forming the internal surfaces of the disc pass sections 8, respectively, between the axial section 22A and the depression section 24A, for the caliper form 17A and between the axial section 22B and the depression section 24B for the caliper form 17B.

Abstract: A disk brake which is designed so that the sound pressure level of the alarm is stable. The disk brake includes a wear sensor composed of a mounting portion which is attached to an outer pad, and a pair of vibrating pieces extending circumferentially of a disk from the left and right ends of the mounting portion along a surface of the outer pad. Each vibrating piece includes an extended portion extending from the mounting portion, and a contact portion formed at the distal end of the extended portion in such a manner that the contact portion is bent toward the disk so as to extend around an edge of the outer pad. The contact portion has a distal end which is offset in the radially outward direction of the disk. The distal end of the contact portion is offset in the radially outward direction of the disk so that the end portion that comes in sliding contact with the disk lies within a braking surface of the disk which is in contact with the outer pad.

Abstract: The disk brake includes a caliper having a plurality of claw portions. A carrier supports the caliper for sliding movement in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the disk. A pair of pads are disposed on opposite sides of the disk for sliding in the axial direction of the disk. A wear alarm member is attached to one of the pads, which is pressed by the claw portions of the caliper, at a position inbetween the claw portions. The wear alarm member has a mounting portion attached to the pad and a vibrating piece extending from the mounting portion in a direction intersecting the radial direction of the disk. The distal end portion of the vibrating piece is bent toward the disk at the periphery of the pad to form a contact portion.

Abstract: A disk brake for a vehicle, for example, an automobile, is provided with a return spring to prevent dragging of pads by a disk when the brake is released. The disk brake has a carrier secured to a non-rotating part of a vehicle, a pair of friction pads supported by the carrier at respective positions which face each other across a disk, a pair of pad guides for slidably guiding the friction pads, a caliper supported by the carrier to press the pair of friction pads against the disk, and a linear return spring retained at both end portions thereof by the pair of friction pads, respectively, to bias the friction pads away from the disk. The return spring is bent radially of the disk at an intermediate portion thereof to form a single bent portion which is retained at the inward end thereof by a hook that is formed on the pad guide.

Abstract: A disc brake for use in a vehicle, such as an automobile, includes a carrier, a rotating disc having inner and outer braking surfaces, inner and outer pads, and a caliper supported in a floating condition by the carrier. The caliper has a cylinder member housing a piston for forcing the inner pad against the inner braking surface of the disc, and a claw member having a disc-passing portion straddling the disc and a claw portion for abutting against the outer pad. The cylinder member defines a through-hole extending therethrough in the axial direction of the disc. The disc-passing portion has an inner surface facing the disc and a tapped hole. A bolt member of the caliper secures the cylinder and claw members together. The tapped portion of the tapped hole is formed such that the end of the tapped portion which is remote from the cylinder member is located on the side of the cylinder member with respect to the inner braking surface.

Abstract: A disc brake prevents the generation of brake noise by chamfering a pair of friction pads which are disposed at both sides, respectively, of a rotating disc. Each pad includes a backing plate and a lining that is rigidly secured to the backing plate, the lining having a friction surface that is to be pressed against the disc. Both side portions of the lining extend outwardly beyond the outer side surfaces of the corresponding claw portions of a caliper in the widthwise direction. The lining is chamfered at each side portion from a position whose distance from the outer side surface of the corresponding claw portion is in the range of from one third to one fourth of the width of the claw portion.

Abstract: A drum brake includes a pair of brake shoes which are provided such that when expanded, they are forced against a brake drum to generate a braking force, a strut which is received in notches formed in the respective webs of the brake shoes so as to extend therebetween, a parking lever which is rotatably supported on either one of the brake shoes such that when rotated, it engages the strut to expand the brake shoes, and a coil spring which is loaded between the strut and the notch formed in the web of the other brake shoe to bias the strut toward the first brake shoe. The notch in the web that is engaged with the strut includes a first notch portion that is formed by cutting the outer peripheral portion of the web and a second notch portion that is formed by further cutting the web at the bottom of the first notch portion at the approximately central portion thereof in the direction of the width of the notch.

Abstract: A friction pad for use in a disc brake includes a backing plate and a lining member secured to the front surface of the backing plate. The backing plate includes a cavity formed in the front surface of the backing plate for receiving therein a portion of the lining member, and a protrusion on the back surface of the backing plate located at a position corresponding to the cavity and projecting outwardly from the back surface of the backing plate. The cavity includes a first recess formed in the front surface of the backing plate in a depressed manner and defined by a side wall, and a second recess formed at the bottom wall of the first recess and defined by a side wall. The bottom of the side wall defining the first recess and the side wall of the second recess are interconnected by a convex surface protruding into the cavity.

Abstract: A disc brake includes a rotating disc, a friction pad having a backing plate and a lining fixedly attached to one surface of the backing plate, and a wear sensor for sensing a limit of wear of the lining. The wear sensor is a bent elongate metal plate mounted on the backing plate with one end thereof projecting beyond the front surface of the backing plate. The disc brake is further provided with structure for preventing excessive deflection of the sensor.

Abstract: A drum brake including a backing plate adapted to be mounted on a non-rotatable member of a vehicle, the backing plate having a shaft hole formed therethrough at the center thereof for accommodating a shaft of the vehicle, a drum adapted to be mounted on a rotatable member of the vehicle, a pair of brake shoes mounted on the backing plate and arranged to be expandable in the radial direction of the drum, a connector connecting respective ends of each of the brake shoes together, an anchor with which the other end of each of the brake shoes are engageable, and mounting bolts for mounting the backing plate on the non-rotatable member of the vehicle. The mounting bolts are located outwardly of the shaft hole and close to each other. The anchor is also fixed to the non-rotatable member of the vehicle by the mounting bolts.